Letter scale



April 4, 1950 H. P. STEWART 2,502,680

LETTER SCALE Filed July '7, 1945 Fig. 1.

INVENTOR. HENRY P STEWART ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE LETTER SCALE Henry P. Stewart, New York, N. Y.

Application July 7, 1945, Serial N 0. 603,634

5 Claims. 1

" This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a combinationletter scale and writing instrument.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple adjustment orattachment for the customary fountain pen, pencil or similar writinginstrument to permit its use also as a scale for weighing letters,packages or other light objects.

With this object in view I provided a movable fulcrum which may bereadily attached to or detached from the clip normally provided near oneend of such writing instruments. Calibrations, e. g. in ounces, areapplied to the barrel or cap of the writing instrument along the clipwhereby the weight of the object can be easily read by positioning thefulcrum.

The object to be weighed is fastened to the end of the workinginstrument near the clip, preferably by means of a screw having aknurled head.

In order to increase the range of the scale, according to one feature ofthe invention, means are provided adjacent to the writing end of theinstrument to hold in place a predetermined weight, e. g., a coin.Additional calibrations may be provided in alignment with the clip forreading ofl' heavier weights when the working end of'the instrument isthus weighted.

These and other features of the invention will more clearly appear fromthe following description of the two embodiments thereof and theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention as appliedto a fountain pen;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the movable fulcrum;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section and Fig. 4 a side elevation of amodification of the invention;

Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of a modifled clip and fulcrum.

Referring to Fig. l, l is the barrel and 2 the customary cap of afountain pen whose working end or pen nib is indicated at 3. The cap 2is provided with the usual clip 4 having a resilient leg extendingparallel with the side of the cap, and by means of which the pen can befastened to the pocket of the user. The clip 4 is fastened to the freeend of the cap 2 by any suitable means through which projects a screw 5having a knurled head 8. Calibrations indicating ounces are engraved onthe cap in alignment with the clip 4.

The fulcrum consists of a substantially triangular piece of metal,fibre, or the like 1, having two legs 8, by means of which it may reston a flat surface, and a slit or opening 9 through which the resilientleg of the clip 4 may be pushed. On account of the resiliency of thefulcrum l and the clip 4, the fulcrum will be held in place with itspoint l0 resting against the side of the cap 2 and indicating the weightof the object.

In order to weigh a package, letter or the like, indicated at II, thisis clamped to a free end of the cap 2 b loosening and then againtightening the screw 5. A thin article like a letter may be clampedbetween the knurled head 6 and the top of the cap 2. A bulkier articlesuch as a package may be fastened to the screw 5 by means of a string i2 clamped between the cap 2 and the head 6 of the screw.

The pen i is then placed on top of a horizontal surface l3, such as atable top, with the forked ends 8 of the fulcrum l resting thereon andthe package or letter I l hanging freely beyond the edge of the tablel3. The fulcrum I is then pushed to the left or the right on clip 4until the article H balances the pen on the fulcrum. The numeral alignedwith point ll] of fulcrum 1 will indicate the weight of the article inounces.

In order to permit the weighing of heavier articles, means such as aresilient clamp 14 is provided adjacent the writing end 3. A coin [5, e.g., a fifty-cent piece, may be clamped between [4 and the nib 3,increasing the weight on the free end of the weighing scale. The row ofnumerals 1, 2, 3, 4 on the cap 2 indicates, in ounces, theweight whencoin I5 is not used, and the row of numerals 3 to 9 indicates, inounces, the weight when the coin I5 is put under the clamp I4.

Instead of printing or engraving the calibratiOns on the cap 2, it maybe placed on a rotatable cylinder provided within the cap and visiblethrough a longitudinal slit in the cap. Such modification is illustratedin Figs. 3 and 4. A cap is provided with a longitudinal slit I! throughwhich calibrations appearing on a drum I8 may be read. The calibrationsmay indicate, for instance, weights in ounces and the postage in penniesfor 1st class mail, air mail, parcel post, etc.

The drum I8 is provided with shoulders l9 and 20 at its ends which fitagainst the inside surface of the cap IS. A stud 2| is attached to oneend of the drum 1 8 and projects through a bushing 22 closing the end ofcap it and carrying clip 21. The fulcrum l which is slidable on the legof clip 21 engages with its point l0 indentations 28 in the cap it so asto insure proper positioning with respect to the calibrations appearingthrough slit IT.

The drum l8 may be rotated to display the desired calibration byinserting a pointed instrument in one of the holes 26 through anenlargement in the slit IT. A nut 25 is provided on screw 23 to preventloosening of the clamp formed by bushing 22 and knurled head 24 when thedrum I8 is rotated.

Fig. shows a clip in which the base of the fulcrum can be adjusted so asnot to project from the clip when the pen or pencil is not used as aweighing instrument.

The fulcrum proper consists of a pointed pivot button 29, pressingagainst the cap of the pen or the pencil in a manner similar to that offu lcrum ID in Fig. 3. Button 29 is soldered or riveted to a base strip30 through slo-t 3| in clip 32. By sliding button 29 along slot 3| thefulcrum can be adjusted for any desired weighing gated member, aresilient cli fastened to one position. By turning base plate 36from-inopera-- end of the member and extending along the a member andspaced therefrom, a movable fulcrum frictionally held between saidmember and clip, and arranged to pivot the member on a horizontalsurface, calibrations on the member with full-drawn position, pivotbutton 29 and base strip are made ready for a weighingoperation-andcan'be placed on a table in a manner as shown in Fig. 1. Ifthe pen or pencil to which the clip is attached is not to be used as aweighing instrument, base strip 30 is turned around about an angle of 90so that it lies flat against the outer surface of clip 32. In thiscondition of the clip, the pen or pencil looks like an ordinary pen orpencil and can be used as such without any interference from projectingparts.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatmany othermodifications may be practiced so as'to adapt the invention to varioustypes of writing instruments such as fountain pens, screw pencils andthe like, the three embodiments herein illustrated being given merely asexemplifications.

What I claim is: 1. In an instrument of the kind described, a workingend and a free end for the instrument, a clip, a resilient leg of theclip extending towards the working end and fastened to the instrumentnear its free end, a movable fulcrum clamped between said leg andthebody of the instrument and on which the instrument is pivdied whenplaced on a horizontal surface, there being calibrations on theinstrument for alignment with the fulcrum, and means for attachingarticles to be weighed to the free end of the instrument. 2 Theinstrument according to [claim 1, wherein" the resilient leg of the cliphas a slot parallel which the fulcrum may be aligned, and means forattaching articles to be weighed to one end of the member.

;4. In. adevice ofthe kind described, an elongated member, a clipcomprising a leg extending along the member and fastened to one end ofthe member, a. fulcrum movably attached tosaid leg of the clipand-arranged to pivot the member on a-horizontal surface, calibrationson the member for alignment with the fulcrum, and means for attachingarticles to be Weighed to one end of'the member.

5. A portable weighing device comprisingan elongated member, a pocketclip attached to. one end of said member and having a pQrtionpari. allelto said member, means for attaching articles to be weighed to said oneend, and a fulcrum having two prongs and a bridge connecting said prongsand said bridge frictionally held between said clip and said member.

- HENRY P. STEWART.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date France Apr. 23, 1.934

